Improvement in corn-planters



J. BROUGHTON Hand-Seeder.

Patented 4 M :my l2, l 85j?.

N. PETERS, PMOTO-LITNDGRAPMER, WASHINGTON. D C.

UNITED STATES PATENT EEICE.

IMPROVEMENT IN CORN-PLANTERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. l7,258, dated M515v l2, 1857.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, J. BROUGHTON, of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Hand Corn-Planter 5 and I do hereby declare that the following is a full,'clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a part of this specification, in which-' Figure l is a vertical section of my improvement, the plane of section being through the center. In this figure the plunger is represented in an elevated state. Fig. 2 is also a vertical section of the same, the plunger being depressed. Fig. 3 is an external view or an elevation of the same. Figjt is a horizontal section of the same, M N in Fi l showing` the plane of section.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several iigures.

My invention consists in having a flexible tube, sack, or seed chamber constructed of muslin or any suitable cloth or woven fabric, the lower end of said tube being connected to a distributing device, and the upper end connected to a plunger which passes through the tube or sack, the whole being arranged and operating, as will be hereinafter fully shown and described, so as to form a light, simple, durable, cheap, and efficient implement.

To enable those skilled in the art to fully understand and construct my invention, I will proceed to describe it.

A is a cylindrical block or piece of wood having a rectangular opening, a, made through it longitudinally to allow a plunger, B, of simi-` lar form, to work through.

On the top of the cylindrical block A a circular piece ofwood, c c, is secured. This piece c c has a rectangular opening made through it in line and corresponding with the openin g (t in the block A:

P is a chamber or recess made in the block A and adjoining the opening a..

D is a slide which is lifted and works horizontally in the block A. The inner end of this slide D is beveled or inclined, and its outer end is acted upon by a spring, G, attached to the outer side of the block, said spring having a tendency to keep the slide D pressed inward and closing the bottom of the opening c. The slide D rests ou a flange, F, of a rectangular cast-metal tube, E. This flange is properly secured to the under side of the block, and the bore or internal diame ter of the tube E corresponds with that of the opening c in the block A.

H is a recess which is cut in one side of the plunger B, near its lower end. This recess is of suflicient size to receive the requisite number of seeds or grains to be deposited in a single hill at each operation.

I is a handle which is attached to the upper end of the plunger B.

J is a tube or sack made of inuslin or other cloth or suitable light and flexible material. This tube or sack is of the saine diameter as the block A, and its lower end is tacked or otherwise secured to the circular piece c c. The upper end of the tube or sack is gathered in and tied fast in a groove, b, in the upper end of the plunger B. The tube or sack J is filled with corn or other seed through an opening, K, in the upper part of the tube or sack. (See Fig. 3.)

The operator takes the machine by the han* dle I and carries it along to the particular spot where the corn or other seed is to be planted. He then sets or drops the lower end on the ground (which causes tube E to partiall'y sink into the soil) and pushes down the plunger B, by thehandle I. The lower end of the plunger B, as it comes in contact with the inclined inner edge ofthe slide D, forces said slide outward, and as the lower end of the plunger passes into the upper end of the tube E, the recess H passes below the circular piece of wood c c, and the seeds drop from the said recess into the chamber P. As the plunger` B is pushed downward the seed or corn which was previouslybrought into the chamber P is forced through the tube E into the ground. It will be seen, therefore, that as the plunger forces the seed into the ground, a fresh quantity is at the same time or at the same descent of the plunger brought into the chamber P, to be again forced out through the tube at the succeeding descent of the plunger. The slide D acts as a cut-off, and retains the seed within the lower part of the opening u, the seed, as the plunger ascends, rolling down the inclined side of the chamber P into said openinc'. The slide D is forced outward by the descent of the plunger B, and as the plunger ascends, the slide is forced inward by the spring G.

'tance below the" surface of the ground.

By referring to `Fig. 2 it will be seen that l the upper end of the iieXible tube or sack J will wrinkle or fold to allow the plunger B to descend, and this wrinkling or folding con-y tinues until a shoulder, L, on the plunger comes in contact with the upper side of the piece c c. This pushes down the lower part of the machine, with its tube E, until the whole under surface rests rmly on the ground and acts as a gage or stop regulating the depth, and causing the seed to be deposited at a uniform dis- The advantages of this planter over all others consists in its simplicity, combined with eX- treme lightness and great capacity for holding grain. Its simplicity almost precludes the possibility of its getting out of order, and a perfect action is insured.

It can be manufactured cheaper than any other planter, and that, too, by the most ordinary mechanic. lt will hold a large quantity of grain without being heavy, while, the sack er tube being flexible, the operator can always I do not coniine vmyself to the precise form of the block A and the tube or sack J, for they may be cylindrical, square, or of polygonal Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, isr The distributing device formed of the block A, having the openin'g'al made longitudinally through it to receive the plunger B, having the recess H made in it, the block being provided with the chamber P, slide D, and tube E, when said distributing device or its equiva lent is used in combination with the flexible tube or sack J, and the whole arranged to operate as shown, for the purpose set forth.

JOHN BROUGHTON.

Witnesses:

' XV. TUscn,

S. F. COHEN.

3 JINN: 

